Fiber optic communication systems are becoming prevalent in part because service providers want to deliver high band width communication capabilities (e.g., data and voice) to customers. Fiber optic communication systems employ a network of fiber optic cables to transmit large volumes of data and voice signals over relatively long distances. Fiber optic connectors are an important part of most fiber optic communication systems. Fiber optic connectors allow optical fibers to be quickly optically connected without requiring a splice. Fiber optic connectors can include single fiber connectors and multi-fiber connectors.
A typical fiber optic connector includes a ferrule assembly supported at a distal end of a connector housing. A spring is used to bias the ferrule assembly in a distal direction relative to the connector housing. The ferrule functions to support an end portion of at least one optical fiber (in the case of a multi-fiber ferrule, the ends of multiple fibers are supported). The ferrule has a distal end face at which a polished end of the optical fiber is located. When two fiber optic connectors are interconnected, the distal end faces of the ferrules abut one another and the ferrules are forced proximally relative to their respective connector housings against the bias of their respective springs. With the fiber optic connectors connected, their respective optical fibers are coaxially aligned such that the end faces of the optical fibers directly oppose one another. In this way, an optical signal can be transmitted from optical fiber to optical fiber through the aligned end faces of the optical fibers.
Fiber optic connectors are typically mounted at the ends of fiber optic cables. In this regard, a fiber optic connector can be directly terminated to its respective fiber optic cable or spliced-on to its respective fiber optic cable. With a directly terminated fiber optic connector, an optical fiber of the fiber optic cable is directly secured within a ferrule of the fiber optic connector. For example, an end portion of the optical fiber of the fiber optic cable is adhesively bonded within the ferrule of the fiber optic connector. With a splice-on fiber optic connector, the optical fiber of the fiber optic cable is spliced to a rear stub end of an optical fiber stub that has been pre-secured within a ferrule of the fiber optic connector. U.S. Pat. No. 9,016,953, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses example splice-on connector configurations. Improvements are needed to increase the speed of fusion splicing operations relating to the manufacture of splice-on fiber optic connectors and also relating to fusion splicing operations in general.